RŪNĀ, Yachting New Zealand's school sailing programme, is being reshaped to align with the refreshed New Zealand curriculum, with teachers' feedback driving changes to how it is positioned in schools.
Teachers have told Yachting New Zealand they don't want another add-on competing for time against other classroom priorities. Instead, they want to see how RŪNĀ fits with what they're already teaching.
"Teachers have told us they want to see how RŪNĀ can support what they're already teaching, rather than add to their workload," Torgersen said. "That's an important focus as we align the programme with the refreshed curriculum, particularly given the rich, practical learning environment a yacht club provides."
A yacht club offers something a classroom can't always match: wind, water, ropes and physics happening in real time, with pupils working out buoyancy and balance hands-on rather than off a whiteboard diagram.
According to Torgersen, Yachting New Zealand will develop a resource to help schools and teachers identify how RŪNĀ activities align with learning objectives for each year level, giving teachers something concrete to match against their own planning.
For schools near the coast or a lake, that alignment could make RŪNĀ an easier fit alongside curriculum demands and limited time on the water.
